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The differences between personal trainers and fitness specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a personal trainer and a fitness specialist. Additionally, a personal trainer has an average salary of $37,214, which is higher than the $32,472 average annual salary of a fitness specialist.
The top three skills for a personal trainer include CPR, customer service and resuscitation. The most important skills for a fitness specialist are CPR, fitness assessments, and ACSM.
| Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,214 | $32,472 |
| Hourly rate | $17.89 | $15.61 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 34,023 | 28,175 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A personal trainer is responsible for monitoring the client's fitness goals by assisting the client with specific and customized routines and exercises to promote healthy well-being. Duties of a personal trainer also include evaluating the client's fitness progress, creating safe programs to improve the client's stamina, educating the client with workout benefits, suggesting on a client's best nutrition plans, and motivating clients with their capabilities. A personal trainer should have excellent knowledge of the fitness industry to support the client's needs.
A Fitness Specialist is focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle through exercise and working with clients in various settings. They teach individuals or groups how to properly perform exercises and use exercise equipment.
Personal trainers and fitness specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,214 | $32,472 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $53,000 | Between $24,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | AEA Investors | University Settlement |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Education |
There are a few differences between a personal trainer and a fitness specialist in terms of educational background:
| Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between personal trainers' and fitness specialists' demographics:
| Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |